Switch movement



Nov. 6, 1928. 1,690,430

c. M. PETERSEN SWI TCH MOVEMENT Filed April 9, 192e Patented Nov. 6,1928.

UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE. 'I

CARL M. PETERSEN, OFBRIDGETORT, cOnNncTrcUnAssrGNoR To HARVEY HUBBELIL,INCORPORATED, or" BRIDGEPORT, coNNn'cToUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTI-CUT.

SWITCH MOVEMENT.

Application led April 9, 1926. Serial No. 100,860.

`This invention relates to ain-,operating mechanism for electricswitches, and partie-` an operating means for tensioning the spring anda locking device for holding the oscillating element stationary untilthe spring has been completely wound and then vreleasing this element sothat the full force of the spring is applied to shift the oscillatingele-l ment to give a rapid make and break with the switch contacts.

i It is an object of the invention to provide an improved constructionof this type which may be employed with an `operating element mountedfor turning movements about an axis normal to the plane of the faceplate..-

lVith the foregoing and other objects in view, I have devisedtheconstruction illustrated in the accompanying drawing torming a part ot'this specification, similar reference characters being employedthroughout the various igures to` indicate corresponding elements. f Inthis drawing,

Fig. `1 is a rear elevation of an'electric switch and face plate usingmy improved operating mechanism.

Fig. 2 `is a longitudinal section substantially on line 2 2 of Fig. 1but showing the switch mechanism in elevation.

Fig. 3 isa front elevation of the face plate and the operating element.

Fig; 4 is a longitudinal section through the switch vmechanism removedfrom its support, the section eorrespondingto the plane ot the verticalcenter line.

Fig. 5 is a transverse section substantially on line 5--5 of Fig. 4showing the relative position of the operating spring and cooperatingelements when the actuating member is Y at restand also showing stopsfor the actuating member.

mechanismv at rest in one ot its eXtreme positions.

Fig. 7 is a similar view showing therelease ating spring, the actuatingmember, release'4 Fig.y 6 is a detail plan of the spring releaseVmechanism and stops in releasedand tripped position, the plane ot `thesection being substantially on line 10-10 ot Fig. 4.

This is the switch operating mechanism 'disclosed in the copendingapplication ot' Harvey Hubbell,` ior switchreceptacle. Serial No.78,417, tiled December 30, 1925. AIn the arrangement illustrated theinsulating body 11 has a chamber 12 open at the rear and in which theswitch mechanism is mounted Mounted in recesses in this body andproject'- ing into the chamber are stationary contacts 13 securedinposition by means ot screws 14, and these screws are connected withplates 15 mounted in recesses in the front side of the body carryingbinding' post screws 16 forcenneetion to the lea-d wires ot' the housewiring" system. Secured to the rear face of the body by. suitable means,such as screws 17, is a supporting plate 18, and these screws 17 may beused to secure the yolremembers 19 to the forward sideof the body andwhich are used to secure the device to the usual walloutlct box, notshown. The tace plate 20 is normallyy mounted by'attaching it totheseyole members bythe screws 21. The' body has a forward extension 22extending through an opening in the tace plate, and this extension hasan opening in which is an operating member 23 mounted for turningmovements, this operating member being provided with a projection 24sforming a linger piece tor manual?v operation of the member. This memberisV preferably constructed ot' suitable insulating material andv hasmolded in it studs 25 by means ot which a plate Q26 is secured to theoperatinglmemher. This plate is rigidly secured to a shaft 2T so thatturnin movements ot 'themember 23 will also turn this shaft, and i thisshat't has a bearing 2S in the supporting plate 18. 4

Mounted' on the shaftis a pivoted plate or oscillating element Q9carrying a movable' switch contact 3() adapted to engage the stationa'rycontacts 13 and bridge the same and, ofcourse, this movable contact 30will be insulated from its supportQS); This oscillating element isprovided with laterally eX- tending ears 31 and 31 upon which themovable switch contactBO is mounted, and a further element 32 is mountedon the shaft and assists in supporting the movable switch Contact. thiselement engaging theend the bushing on the sha-tt to limit the lateralmovement of the members and 32. Mounted onthis bushing is a coiledspring 34 having oppositely extending free arms 35 and 36 normallyengaging the ears 31 and 31 on the oscillatingmember, and adaptedy toswing this memberin opposite directions under certainconditions to openand'close the switch.

The plate 26 mounted on the rear end of the operating member 23y has apair of rearwardly extending lugs 37 and 38 also arranged to en age thespring arms and 36 respectively fior winding or tensioning the spring`as the operating member 23 is given its turning movements. The plate 26is still further provided with stop lugs 39.*and 40 adapted to engagethe stopsf41 extendingforwardly from the rear-supporting plate 18 tolimit theturning movements of the operating member.

\ The oscillating-.or swinging member 29 has two substantiallydiametrically opposite extensions 42 and 43 which have stop shoulders 44and 45 respectively at their opposite ends arranged to engage the sidesof the stops 41 on the rear supporting plate 18,to limit the turningmovements of the swinging or oscily lating member 29. Mounted betweenthe supporting plate 18 and the oscillating member 29 is a locking plate46 which is adapted for limited reciprocating movement and has a stoplug 47 which is arranged to be engaged by the shoulders45 on theopposite ends ofy the extension 43 to'hold the oscillating memberagainst movement during the operation of the winding of the spring. Thelocking plate 46 is mounted for limited reciprocatory movement on thesupporting plate 18, it being guided in these movements by means ofstuds 48 carried by the locking plate and projecting into elongatedslots 49 in theplate 18.

i The locking plate 46 is provided with an opening therethrough and hasa pair of tapered cam lugs 50 and51 projecting inwardlyand 51respectively to hold the locking plate stationary during the windingoperations of the spring, or that is, during the movements ofthe camplate intermediate thetwo releas ing positions. l g

The operation is Vas follows: Assume the elements are inthe positionsshowngi'n Figs. 5 and 6. which is oneof the normal positions of rest, itbeing: understood, of course, that in this position the switch may beeither on or olf depending upon the relative mounting of the movable andstationary switch contacts.. VIf now the operating member 23 is given apartial revolution or turning move ment vto the right or clockwise, asviewed in these figures, and as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 6, itwill be apparent that the locking plate 46 will be held stationary byengagement of the cam lugs 50 and 51 with the concentric curved surfaces56 and 57 respectively y until the shaft has made nearl a quarterrevolution when the kwall58 of t 1e extension 54 will engage theinclined wall of the cam lug 51 and will slide the locking plate 46downwardly a short distance, the upper cam lug 50 moving into the notch59. The elements are now substantially in the position shown in Fig. 7and the locking plate 46 still locks the oscillating or swinging member29 against movement because of the engagement of the left `hand shoulder45 with the stop lug 47 on the locking plate. During this movement thelug 38 on the plate 26 secured to the operating member 23 engages thearm 36 of the spring and forces it away from the lug 31 on theoscillating member and will wind the spring because the other arm 35 ofthe spring will be held by the other lug 3l on the oscillating member,it being understood that dur ing this movement the oscillating member isheld stationary or locked by means of the locking plate. Also, as thelug 38 is moved the opposite lug 37 carried by theplate 26 will becorrespondinglymoved in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 5, awayfrom the spring arm 35 as this arm will engage and be held by the lug31. The spring is now wound and a slightly further turning movement ofthe operating member 23 in the same direc-` lll tion will move thelocking plate 46 to the position shown in Fig. 8 and will release theoscillating or swinging member 29 which will immediately be swung by thearm 35 of the spring acting on lug 31- to the position shown in Fig. 10.In this position the shoulder 44 on the right hand side of extension 42will y engage the top side of right hand sto 41 on i the rearsnpporting'plate and the le t hand shoulder 45 on the extension 43 willengage the lower` side of theleft hand stop 41, and

these shoulders and stops will limit the turn ingmovcment of the member29. If the oper` Aating member 23 is now released the spring will swingthe members back or counterclockwise sufiiciently to cause the lockingplate 46 to be moved up to the locking posi@ tion, that is, the arm 36,as shown in Fig. 10, acting against the lug 38 will swing the plate26counter-clockwise as viewed in this figure, until this arm 36 restsagainst the lug 31` on the oscillating member. If the member 23 is nowturned a quarter revolution in the opposite direction the same operationwill take place except that it will be reversed and in the oppositedirection to bring the elements back to the posit-ion shown in Figs. 5and 6.

Having thus set forth the nat-ure of my invention, what I claim is:

l. In a switch mechanism an oscillating element, a locking plate mountedfor reciprocatory movement, coacting locking means carred by the plateand element, said plate ha.v ing an opening therein and inwardlyextending tapered lugs on opposite sides of said opening, a cam mountedfor turning movements and located in said opening, said cam havingsurfaces coacting with the said lugs to shift the plate and unlock theoscillating element, a spring for oscillating said element, and anoperating means connected to the cam and arranged to wind said spring.

` 2. In a switch mechanism an oscillating element, a locking platemounted for reciprocatory movement, coacting locking means carried bythe plate and element, said plate having an opening therein and inwardlyextending tapered lugs on opposite sides of said opening, a cam pla-temounted for turning movements in said opening and provided with twooppositely disposed lugs and an intermediate lug having surfacescoacting with the lugs on the locking plate to shift said plate tounlock the oscillating element, said cam plate being provided withconcentric walls on the intermediate lug and on the opposite side of thepla-te coacting with the tapered lugs to hold the locking plate inlocking position during the movements of the cam intermediate thereleasing positions, a .spring for shifting the oscillating element, andan operating member connected to the cam plate and provided wit-h meansfor winding the spring during said intermediate movements.

3. In a switch mechanism an oscillating element, a spring for shiftingsaid element, a locking plate mounted for reciprocatory movement,coacting locking means carried by the plate and element, said platehaving an opening therein and inwardly extending lugs on opposite sidesof said opening, a cam plate mounted to turn in said opening, and an`operating means connected to turn said cam plate and arranged to windthe spring, said cam plate being provided with surfaces arranged tocoact with said lugs to shift the locking plate and unlock theoscillating element. and also provided with other surfaces coacting withsaid lugs to hold the locking plate in locking position during thewinding operation.

4. In a switch mechanism a supporting plate, a. shaft havingr a bearingin the plate and extending at right angles thereto, a locking plateguided for reciprocating movement on the supporting plate and having anopening therethrough having inwardly extending Itapered lugs on theopposite sides thereof, a cam plate secured to the shaft and located insaid opening, said cam plate being provided with surfaces cooperatingwith the said lugs to loc-k the plate in a given position and to shiftsaid plate at predetermined movement-s of the cam plate, an oscillatingelement mounted for turning movements ionthe shaft,

coacting locking means carried by the locking plate and the oscillatingelement, a. spring on the shaft'to shift the oscillating ele-ment, andan operating means secured to the shaft and connected to the spring forwinding the same in certain timed rela-tion with the 'operation of thelocking plate.

5. In a switch mechanism, a shaft mounted forturning movements, anoscillating member mounted to turn relative to the shaft, a springadapted to turn said member in opposite direc-tions, a cam secured tosaid shaft, a reciprocable locking plate, meansfor holding said plateagainst turning movements,coact ing locking means carried by the lockingplate and the oscillating member, operating means connected to thekshaft to impart turning movements thereto and provided with means forwinding the spring du 1ing said `1nove ments, and cooperating meanscarried by the cam and the locking plate for holding the locking plateand shifting it in certain timed relation with the winding vof thespring.

6. In a switch mechanism, a. shaft. mounted for turning movements, anoscillating mem-r ber mounted to turn relative to the shaft, a

spring adapted to turn said element iny opposite directions, a movablelocking Aplate having an opening provided with inwardly extendingtapered lugs on the opposite sides thereof, a cam plate secured to theshaft and mounted in said opening, coasting locking means carried by thelocking; plate and the oscillating member, operating means connected tothe shaft for imparting turning movements thereto, means ope-rated bythe operating` means for winding the spring during said turningmovements, and said cam plate being provided with means cooperating'with said tapered lugs to hold the locking plate in locking position andshift the seme to unlock the oscillating member in certain timedrelation with the winding of the spring. l e

7. In a switch mechanism a. movable element mounted for oscillatingmovement and provided with spaced shoulders, a. stationary member havinglugs to engage saidshonlders to limit the movements of said element, amovable locking plate having stop shoulders to engage certain of theshoulders on the element to hold it in given positions, said lockingplate having an openingwith inwardly extending tapered lugs on oppositesides thereof, a cam plate mounted to turnin said opening and havingsurfaces to coact with the tapered lugs to shift the locking plateadjacent the extremes of movement of the cam plate to unlock theoscillating element and to hold the locking plate stationaryintermediate the releasing positions, a spring arranged to shift. theoscillating element after it is released and an operating member mountedto turn the cam plate and wind the spring.

8. In a switch mechanism, a shaft moimted 5 for turning movements, amember mounted 10 said member, operating means connected to the shaft toimpart turning movements thereto, means connected bo the shaft to windthe spring by said turning movements, stop means independent of thelocking means carried by the locking plate to arrest the movable memberat the end of its movements, and cooperating means carried by the camand the locking plate for holding the loe-king:r plate and shiftingit incertain timed relation with the winding of the spring.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature CARL M. PETERSEN.

